What should I plant next to arugula?

QUESTION: What should I plant next to arugula? Which plants will help repel pests from arugula? -Terry S.

ANSWER: Companion planting can help prevent diseases, repel garden pests, and even encourage your plants to grow healthier and stronger than they would alone. Here’s a list of the plants that are proven to work well planted close to arugula.

• Asparagus: Asparagus provides arugula with some much-needed shade in hot weather.

• Basil: Improves the flavor of arugula growing nearby while also repelling mosquitoes.

• Beans: Pole beans provide arugula with some much-needed shade in hot weather, and all beans add nitrogen to the soil, which arugula needs to thrive.

• Beets: Beets supply the soil with minerals arugula needs to thrive.

• Borage: Repels tomato hornworms and cabbage worms; attracts pollinators such as  bees and tiny wasps.

• Brussels sprouts: Tuck a fast-growing breed of arugula between your Brussels sprout plants for a convenient, space-saving partnership.

• Calendula: While most varieties of marigold repel insects, calendula (commonly referred to as pot marigold, common marigold, ruddles, or Scotch marigold) actually does the opposite. It attracts the slugs that can wreak havoc in your garden. So why would you want to attract a garden pest? If the slugs are munching on the calendula, they aren’t eating your arugula. Position a trap plant (also called a sacrificial plant) a small distance from your arugula to keep the slugs clear of the salad greens.

• Carrots: Carrots attract beneficial insects that prey on garden pests. Arugula planted between rows of carrots helps to choke out weeds.

• Catnip: Catnip repels slugs and beetles from arugula.

• Cauliflower

• Chervil: Boosts arugula’s growth and flavor while repelling aphids and slugs.

• Chives: Repel aphids and Japanese beetles from arugula.

• Cilantro/Coriander: You can sow arugula and cilantro seeds at the same time.

• Corn: Corn provides arugula with some much-needed shade in hot weather.

• Cucumbers

• Dill: Attracts beneficial insects that prey on garden pests.

• Eggplant

• Hyssop: Hyssop repels slugs and beetles from arugula.

• Kale

• Kohlrabi: Kohlrabi provides arugula with some much-needed shade in hot weather, and arugula protects the kohlrabi by repelling earth flies.

• Lavender: Boosts the growth of arugula.

• Leeks: Repel carrot flies.

• Marigold: Marigold flowers function as an all-natural insect repellent in the garden because pests can’t handle their scent. They’re especially effective at fighting off aphids and greenflies, and the thiophenes marigolds produce work to keep nematodes out of your garden soil. Marigolds also attract hoverflies, a beneficial predatory insect that eats aphids.

• Marjoram: Boosts vegetable growth.

• Mint: Repels cabbage moth and ants.

• Melons: Planting arugula in between your melon hills is a convenient setup.

• Nasturtium: Nasturtiums attract pollinators as well as caterpillars, aphids, and whiteflies. Use nasturtiums as trap plants, or sacrificial plants. Position the nasturtiums a small distance away from your arugula plants to lure the insects nasturtiums attract to the flowers instead of the arugula. The insects will lay their eggs on the nasturtium, so it’s best to pull up and discard the nasturtium plant before the eggs have a chance to hatch.

• Okra: Okra plants provide arugula with some much-needed shade in hot weather.

• Peas: Peas add nitrogen to the soil, which arugula needs to thrive.

• Peppers

• Potatoes

• Radishes: Radishes are said to have a less woody texture when planted near arugula. They also function as a trap crop for flea beetles and cucumber beetles.

• Sage: Sage repels slugs and beetles from arugula.

• Spinach

• Strawberries: Use your arugula plants to create a border around your strawberries.

• Sunflowers: Sunflowers provide arugula with some much-needed shade in hot weather as well as attracting pollinators.

• Swiss chard

• Tansy: Repels cutworm, which can plague arugula.

• Tomatoes: Tomatoes provide arugula with some much-needed shade in hot weather.

• Winter squash: Planting arugula in between your squash hills is a convenient setup.

• Zucchini